Wiggins gives credit to scientist

Tour de France leader Bradley Wiggins has attributed much of his performances to an Australian sports scientist with a background in swimming.

Wiggins has already won the Paris-Nice, Tour de Romandie and Criterium du Dauphine stage races this season and entered today's 194.5-kilometre 10th stage from Macon to Bellegarde-sur-Valserine with an advantage of one minute 53 seconds over nearest rival and defending champion Cadel Evans (BMC Racing).

Team Sky head coach Shane Sutton introduced Wiggins to Tim Kerrison, who has revolutionised the 32-year-old triple Olympic champion's attempt to be the first British Tour winner. Wiggins said: "Shane's much more of a mentor, whereas Tim's the brains. He's changed my career, totally."

He added: "Since that 2010 disappointment in the Tour, from that moment on, we started working together.

"Shane brought Tim in and said 'I want all the numbers and what's the requirement to win the Tour de France'.

"It took a lot of trust at the start for me to trust Tim's training methods, because he'd never worked in cycling. I'd go as far to say he's revolutionised training in cycling."

Wiggins was Team Sky's marquee signing for their debut season, but finished a disappointing 24th - upgraded to 23rd when Alberto Contador was stripped of the title for a doping offence - and the only surviving members from that Tour team are himself and Norwegian Edvald Boasson Hagen.

Wiggins believes Chris Froome and Australian duo Michael Rogers and Richie Porte are all capable of top-10 Tour finishes, but they are prepared to sacrifice themselves for him, giving him further motivation.

Froome, who finished second in the Vuelta a Espana, one place ahead of Wiggins, is the Londoner's right-hand man.

"He's invaluable," Wiggins said. "He's an incredible climber, he's got a great engine for time-trialling and he's going to be a big part of this jigsaw in the next couple of weeks."